Converter.



No. 746,238. PATENT'ED, 1330.18, 1903.

R.BAGGALBY. v CONVERTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1903. no MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET L WITNESSES g) INVENTOR m: nonms vzrsns co, Pno'roumo WASHINGTON. u (a.

No. 746,238 V PATENTED DEG.8,1903.

' BAGGALEY.

CONVERTER.

\ APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1903.

no MODEL. {SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I l I I 27 WITNESSES INVENTOR m: uoams r z rzas co. PHOYO-LITHQ, wAsmNGToM, D c,

' No. 746,238. PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903..

R. BAGGALBY.

. CONVERTER. APPLICATION 1 1mm FEB. 12. 1903. -1-1 0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

- I NV EN TO R Tu: Momfls PETERS co vnoToMrHo wnsnmown, n. c.

WITNESSES UNITE STATE-s Patented December 8, 190s.

RALP H BAGGALEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVERTER.

srncxgnlcacrron forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,238, dated December s, 1903.

Application filed February 12, 1903. Serial Nol4-.S,010. (No modem T aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that LRALP BAGGALEY, of

Pittsburg, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Converter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is a side elevation of the converter, partly in longitudinal section. 3 are elevations of the opposite ends respec tively. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line IV IV of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to an apparatus for refining metal mattes or compounds by the bessemerizing or converting process in a therefore continued sometimes for more than three hours simply because the converterwalls will not admit of higher temperatures being used. In addition to this in the present converters it is impossible to use brick.

linings notwithstanding the fact that such linings would be much cheaper thanothers, because of the fact that it has been 'found that the heat of the interior walls will rapidly penetrate any kind of brick and Will weaken and destroy the metal shell of the converter itself.

The refining of copper by my process consists simply in the elimination of various elements successively in the orderin which each can be oxidized.

The atmosphere furnishes the cheapest source of supply of oxygen, and the reason that copper, gold, silver, nickel, and cobalt are freed from their impurities through the action of thecon verting-blast is because iron, arsenic, selenium, tellurium, bismuth, antimony, lead, and other elements are oxidized, and thus eliminated before oxidizing com- Figs. 2 and.

imences in the case of the above-mentioned metals,'which it is desired to recover. the larger the volume of air that is delivered into the molten mass the greater the resulting he'at'and the quicker the desired result is .ers will not stand the greater heat.

Should converters as at present used be provided with water-jackets or even with coils for the circulation of water orair through the lining atthe latter portion of the converting process, when the heat begins to fail through the reduced percentages of oxidizable impurities or when the matte has reached approximately seventy per cent. or eighty per cent of copper the contents of the converter will solidify and the process will be brought to a standstill and the desired refining ren-' The final operation is thus rendered erratic and uncertain and is at times unduly hastened in order to complete the work before the mass solidifies. The net result of these conditions is necessarily poor work or at all events not such good and perfect work as would be possible where the temperature of the molten mass can be. regulated at will and held just high enough so that it would be im-. possible for copper noses to form.

vI provide for and counteract the injurious effects that would otherwise result from the Hence '55 greatly increased volume of blast,- with'its consequent increased heats in the early stages of the converting process, by means of abundaut streams of cooling-water flowing through a number of narrow metal jackets, which cooling streams are capable of regulation at will in each separate jacket, while during: the later stages of the converting" process I sup ply to the converter the auxiliary heat of a dame that is also capable of regulation at will and by means of which I am enabled to produce the best work and with the greatest economy, dispensing entirely with the present tedious, expensive, and unworkman-lilte practice of removing copper noses by steel bars, sledge-hammers, and manual labor.

Fluxes of any kiinhwhether they be silica, iron, limo, dolomite, or other flux, will be quickly melted through the intense heatand violent agitation of the molten mass produced by the great volume of air and will be quickly mixed and readily taken up by the mass as a means of forming the desired slag.

The converter shown in the drawings is of barrel shape formed with an interior refractory lining, exterior water-jackets, and a metal cradle or frame by which the structure is held together.

2 2 are metal end plates of the converter, which are preferably dished and are connected by longitudinal bars or channels 3, which constitute therewith a snpportilnl-cradle for tho waterackets and the contained refractory lining. These water-jackets are made of parallel sections 4. 1-, which are shaped to suit the contour of the converter and are preferably long and narrow. They are set edge to edge, being connected by bolts passinn through marginal flanges 5, and they are provided with transverse flanges 6, which fit against the sides of one of the channel-bars, as shown in Fig. i, and are secured thereto and to each other by bolts 7. The waterjackets at the ends of the converter are constituted by hollow plates 8 8, set on the inner side of the end plates 2 2.

Each of the jachet'sections 4 4 and each of the sections 8 8" has a water-inlet 9, communicating with a water -supply pipe 10, which derives its water from a swiveled Water connection 11 at the axis of rotation at one end of the converter, and at the upper end each of the sections has an outlet-passage 12, connecting with a pipe 13, leading to a vertical flexible stand-pipe 14., which being elevated insures that the water-jackets are always kept full of water and that escape of bubbles of steam and air can freely occur. Being flexible the stand-pipe does not interfere with the rotation of the converter.

Inside the WittGF-jtlGliGlS is a refractory lining 15, made of bricks composed of chrome ore, magnesite, silica, or dolomite, or the lining may he made of plastic refractory material rammed in place. I prefer, however, to make the lining of bricks. This has not hitherto been done in copper-converters, and I am enabled to do it by the use of the waterjacltets, which keep the outer surface of the converter from becoming overheated.

Wrasse The upper part of the converter is constituted by a removable section 16, composed of a metal shell 17 with an in terior refractory lining", and it is provided with suitable lifting rings or lugs 18, by which when desired it can he removed to afford access to the interior for purposes of repair.

The converter has twyers 19 extending through the refractory lining and through the water-jackets to a wind-box 20, which derives its supply of air from a pipe 21, swiveled at the end of the converter in the axis of rotation.

The converter is preferably mounted on wheels 22, which are journaled in a foundation 23, the end plates 2 2 being formed with a peripheral rim 24, which bears on the wheels. The wheels 22 at one endof the converter are provided with flanges, which cngage and hold the Pl!!! 24 but the wheels 22 at the other end are unilanged, so as to permit free longitudinal expansion of the converter.

In order to rotate the converter, I provide it at one end with a segmental pinion 25, engaging a rack 26, which may be reciprocat-ed by a power cylinder 27 or other suitable means. This rack maybe held in engagement with the pinion by a cam 28, which bears against the back of the rack and constitutes a guide. By rotating the cam the rack is freed and can bedisengaged from the pinion.

S is a spout by which fluxes can be delivered to the converter, Fig. 4.

The converter is provided with means for supplying the heat of a flame to the surface of the charge at the end of the blow when nearly all the bases of the matte have been oxidized and the heat of oxidation has thus failed. For this purpose I introduce at the end of the converter one or more burners 29, adapted tosupply a jet of gas or of oil sprayed with air or steam, and I am enabled thereby to generate in the converter as intense degree of heat as may be required. The pipes 30 and 31, which supply the burner, are provided with swinging joints, so that they will not interfere with the rotation of the converter.

In using the converter it is charged with molten matte, and jets of air are blown into it from the twyers, the air being supplied in large volume, as above stated. This efitects the conversion with greater rapidity and with the generation of more intense heat than is at present required, and I am enabled to do this by the use of the water-jackets back of the refractory lining, which prevent the destruction of the converter-shell at the beginning of the blow when the oxidation and generat-ion of heat are rapid, and by the use of the burner 29, from which I supply heat to the surface of the charge toward the end of the blow when the oxidation and heat of chemical combination fail. By the auxiliary heat of the burner I can retain the matte during the final stage of the blow in the nec-' essary hot and liquid condition without danger of chilling it by the water in the jackets or by the cooling effect of the large blast of air. The heat from the burner also prevents the formation of copper noses at the twyers, which heretofore have constituted a source of annoyance and expense.

It will thus be seen that by the employment of a water-jacket I can increase the airblast and generate in .my converter at the early stages of the blow greater heatthan heretofore without destroying the converter and can convert the copper in a shorter time, and by using means for introducing the heat of a flame above the charge I am enabled to prevent the freezing of the charge which by reason of the cooling influence of the waterjacket and the air-blast would be more apt to occur in my converter at the later stages of the blow when the heat of oxidation fails than in converters now in use. By the term ,copper-converter employed in the claims I mean aconverter for refining copper which by reason of the water-jacket and the means for producing the heat of a flame above the' charge can be employed with a larger volume of air than is now ordinarily employed and can convert the charge more quickly with also enables me to use silica and other fluxes in the charge instead of depending upon the lining for fluxingthe impurities of the charge.

I claim 1. A copper-converter having twyers, a re-- fractorylining, a water-jacket back of the lining, and means for supplying the heat of a flame to the converter above the copper-level; substantially as described.

2. A copper-converter having twyers, a refractory lining, a water-jacket back of the lining, means for supplying the heat of a jackets and a refractory lining contained within the jacket; substantially as described.

5. A copper-converter having water-cooling devices adapted to prevent overheating of the converter at the early stages of the blow, and having a burner adapted to supply heat to the surface of the charge at the end of the blow when the heat of oxidation fails; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'set my hand.

.RALPH BAGGALEY. Witnesses:

GEO. B. BLEMING, H. M. OoRwIN. 

